Mail-collector.



v F. J. EDER.

MAIL COLLECTOR.

APPLIOATIOH nun 00121, 1911.

1,019,029. Y Patented Maw, 1912.

FRANK J'. EDER, OF ST. PAUL MINNESOTA.

MAIL-COLLECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 2'7, 1911.

Serial No. 657,070.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. EDER, a subj ect of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and Stateof Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMail-Collectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail collectors for railwaytrains and its object is to provide a simple convenient device forcatching mail sacks from moving trains and more particularly to soengage a suspended mail sack that it is carried within the car by themovement of the train and making it unnecessary for the mail clerk inthe car to manipulate the mechanism while receiving the mail sack.

In the drawing with which I have illustrated my invention and whichforms part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention in connection with the doorway of a mail coach; Fig. 2 is aplan view of my device in operative position, and Fig. 3 is anelevation, part in section, showing the position of my device when notin use and its means of attachment to the door frame of the car.

In the above drawing I have shown a door frame-A of a mail coach onwhich is mounted a supporting stand B. A catching arm or track rail G ispivoted at the top of the stand by means of a suitable bolt 2 to rotatetransversely of the car into vertical and horizontal positions.

The stand B has an enlarged base part 3 recessed to slide upon a slidebar 4 which is fixed on the threshold 5 of the car door. The slide bar 4is provided with notches 6 in its sides by means of which the base B isfixed in position longitudinally of the threshold 5 and the enlargedbase 3 engaging the slide bars 4 provides stable attachment for thestand.

Within the base 3 a latch 7 is mounted to operate vertically into andout of engagement with the notches 6, a compression spring 8 in the basetending to hold the latch 7 in engagement with the notches. A trip lever9 is pivoted on the base 3 having one end engaging the latch 7 to raiseit out of the notches 6 and its other extremity 10 directed toward theinside of the car to conveniently operate the latch in adjusting thestand B.

The upper part of the stand B is fixed upon the base part 3 by a socketjoint 11, being fixed in position by means of a set screw 12. Thecatching arm C in the operating position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2has a transverse slide part 13 curving gradually into a forwardlyext-ending catching extremity 14 adapted to engage a sack of mailsuspended in the ordinary manner for collection by moving trains. Theparts 13 and 14 of the arm C are formed with a forwardly extending curvesubstantially as illustrated and adapted to engage the mail sack andcarry it backward and gradually inward with a minimum shock to the sackand catching mechanism. An extension piece 15 is connected with the armby a screw joint 16 or in any suitable manner and provides acontinuation of the transverse slide 13 adapted to carry the mail sacksfarther within the carloy its own momentum.

The positioning of the stand B on the threshold of the door frame Apermits the closing of the door with the arm in operating position whenthe extension piece 15 is removed.

The arm C is supported in the operating position by a guard 17 and abrace 18. The guard 17 is pivoted to the arm C at 19 and is formed witha slot 20 running on a stub bolt 21 on the upper part of the stand B.The slot 20 permits the rotation of the arm G on the pivot into asubstantially vertical position illustrated in Fig. 3. The guard 17 alsoserves to support the mail sack sliding along the arm G and prevents thesackfrom wrapping about the stand B. The brace 18 is detachablyconnected with the arm G near its catching extremity 14 by means of asocket joint 22 or in any suitable manner and. with the door frame Aatthe rear of the stand B by means of a lug 23 attached to the doorframe and formed with a recess 24 adapted to engage the rear extremityof the brace 18.

In operating my device the base 3 of the stand B is placed upon theslide 4 with the latch 7 engaging one of the notches 6. The

top part of the stand is fixed in the base by means of the set screws 12which may or may not be removed when the stand is not in use. The arm Cand guard 17 are so positioned on the stand as illustrated in Fig. 3allowing the catching arm G to hang in a vertical position. Theextension piece 15 is attached to the catching arm and in the verticalposition of the catching arm lies out- Patented Mar. 5, 1912. v

side the car door. The brace 18 is not attached to the device until itis desired to operate the catcher. The door of the car may then beopened and the extension piece being used as a handle, the handle C israised to its elevated position shown in Fig. 1. .The brace 18 isinserted in the sockets at the joints 22 and 23 and the base part 8 isadjusted on the slide 4: to give the proper rigidity to the brace 18 andstand B. If desired the catcher may be maintained in this position withthe door of the. car open allowing the mail sacks to drop inside thecar. In stormy weather the extension piece 15 may be removed and thedoor of the car closed as soon as the catching arm C has been adjustedin operative position. The mail sack caught by the extremity 14L willthen slide along the arm C and rest against the car door until the dooris opened and the sack is removed by hand. After the mail sack has beencollected the brace 18 is removed and the arm C lowered to the posi tionshown in Fig. 3 until again required.

The arm C is distinguished from prior devices for catching mail sacks inthat it is a single track rail used to catch the sack between its endsand carry it when so caught with its ends hanglng over the rail, whileprior devices catch and conduct the sack loosely and do not catch thesack between its ends and conduct it while so caught.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof but I desire to haveit understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the scope of the followingclaims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is 1. In a sack collector for mail coaches, a supportmounted outside the door of said coach, a curved catching arm pivoted tosaid support to rotate into vertical and horizontal position without thedoor of said car, and an extension piece adapted to be connected to saidcatching arm in extension thereof to guide a mail sack into the interiorof said coach and to be removed to permit the closing of the coach doorwhen the catching arm is in operative position.

2. In a sack collector for mail coaches, a slideway rail on thethreshold of said coach door, a stand having a base slidable on saidrail and having latch means for adjustment thereon, a catching armpivoted at the upper extremity of said stand to rotate transversely ofsaid coach into and out of operative position, an extension pieceadapted to be attached to said catching arm to guide mail sacks into theinterior of said coach and to be removed to permit the operation of saidcatching arm with thecoach door closed and means for bracing said arm inoperative position.

8. In a mail sack collector for railway coaches, a curved catching railpositioned in the doorway of a coach and having an outer extremityextending forward to engage the suspended mail sack between its ends,and an inner extremity directed toward the interior of the car andadapted to permit the free riding of a mail sack thereon between itsends into said car by its own momentum.

4. In a sack collector for railway mail coaches, a support, a curvedcatching rail rotatably mounted on said support in the doorway of acoach and having an outer extremity extending forward to engage thesuspended mail sack between its ends and an inner extremity directedtoward the interior of the car to guide said sack caught by said armpast said support into said coach.

5. In a sack collector for mail coaches, a supporting stand detachablyfixed to the door frame of a coach, a curved catching rail mounted onsaid stand and having a catching extremity adapted to engage a suspendedmail sack between its ends, and a delivery extremity adapted to guidesaid sack riding under its own momentum on said rail into the interiorof said coach, and means for supporting said catching arm in operativeposition.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. EDER. Witnesses:

H. L. FISCHER, F. G BRADBURY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

